Duplicity - A True Story of Crime and Deceit by Paul Goldman (surface ebook reader txt) 📗

and, in doingso, I realized my greatest responsibility, and my greatest joy.Watching Johnny grow and learn, seeing the world new and freshthrough his eyes, was a wonderful experience. But I came tounderstand that to raise him in the best possible way, Johnny wouldneed a new mother.

CHAPTER FOUR

Jewish Singles: The First Meetings

November 2006

Autumn in Southern Floridadoes not produce the same visual effect it does for much of therest of the country. There's no colorful foliage heralding thechange in season, no crisp breeze causing us to snuggle intosweaters newly pulled from winter storage, and no mixedanticipation as we wait for the blustery weather ahead. SouthernFlorida simply and seamlessly shifts from unbearably hot tomanageably warm and, at least for most of us, that is our climaticcue that the year’s end is fast approaching, and a chance for a newbeginning awaits.

Walking with my sonthrough an outdoor West Palm Beach mall, I did have the faint,palpable sense that change was upon me. The air was still fairlywarm and the sun’s intensity wasn’t lost on the dogs gravitatingtoward the shade. The shoppers were happily milling about as theybegan the preemptive task of holiday shopping. Preempting theholiday season was not myobjective, however. My objective was to try, onceagain, to make my toil at JewishSingles bear fruit in the form of a real,stay-at-home mommy for Johnny.

The omnipresent smell offreshly baked bread also signaled that we were nearing ourdestination, Le Parisiencafé. I had agreed the night before to yetanother first date, and this one's name was Audrey.

Would she be the change I wasanticipating?

The first change Iinitiated was the move to Florida. After the divorce from Talia, Ireally wanted a fresh start for Johnny and me, and so the decisionto relocate seemed obvious. Since I had always enjoyed a closenesswith my own grandparents, I hoped Johnny might have the same. So Idecided we would move closer to my parents, which meant choosingbetween Florida and Rhode Island, since they spent half a year ineach. Having grown all too accustomed to the Southern Californiaclimate, the choice was easy and now Florida was our home. With myinsurance background, I quickly got a job with Metro InsuranceAgency as an Account Manager, and, since he was not old enough forschool yet because he was only four, found a day care for Johnnyright down the street from the office.

I had a relationship with my son that wasmore fulfilling than anything I might have ever hoped for. Despitethat joy, however, two areas of my life could have usedimprovement, to put it mildly: One, I was imprisoned in my newcubicle, furloughed only nights and weekends to be with mybeautiful son. Two, I was still without a woman with whom I couldshare the partnership of parenting, the comfort of compatibility,and the intimacy of a loving relationship.

I always brought Johnny with me on my firstdates. My prison wages left no slack for a baby sitter. Even thoughit was a little awkward, I thought it made us an attractivepackage, and it gave Johnny a glimpse of his prospective newmother.

We meandered through the maze of tables andhurried waitresses darting this way and that, and my eyes settledon a beautiful woman seated alone at a table. Well, that's not her,for sure, I thought. I looked closer. Wow, she sure looked likeAudrey's online photo. Then I realized that she was the one I wouldbe meeting.

Maybe this won't be another disastrous datingexperience after all, I thought. Bearing the likeness of silverscreen beauty Andie MacDowell, her long brown hair spiraled downher back, and her slim frame and delicate beauty captivated me evenbefore she returned my gaze. The pulsating sounds of the café’smusic and the incessant chatter of the patrons seemed to fade awayand I lost myself in my imagination.

A tug from Johnny stirred me from my tranceand I laughed at my own boyishness. Taking him by the hand, Iapproached the table and the two of us greeted her together asfather and son.

She was in fact Audrey Munson, and shegraciously returned our greeting when we joined her at the table.Surprised by my own nervousness, I busied myself with Johnny,helping him to get situated and attempting to appear casual andconfident. Audrey too was busy. Her cell phone rang almostimmediately after we arrived and she unapologetically reviewed thenumber, seeming confused by the caller’s identity.

Not wanting to start things off on the wrongfoot, I pretended that the small disruption didn't bother me atall. Instead, I turned to the waitress, a young woman who lookedfrazzled and anxious, and found comfort in the idea that, bycomparison, I was looking collected and assured.

“May I start you off withsomething to drink?” she rambled. I turned to my son.

“What do you say?Chocolate milk?”

“Yes, Daddy, can I havechocolate milk?” he asked with an elated smile that overshadowedeven Audrey’s glow. My heart warmed and I let my fatherly pridetake hold. I turned to Audrey to see if she too had been enchantedby my son’s charm, but I felt myself deflate when I realized themoment had been lost on her. She was still fidgeting with herphone.

“How about you, Audrey?” Iasked, my tone only slightly altered to reflect mydisappointment.

“Oh, uh, I’ll have an icedtea.”

“That's a good idea. I'llhave the same,” I said, and turned my head to the waitress. “Twoiced teas and a chocolate milk,” I requested. She noddeddistractedly; the stains on her apron and her smeared makeup seemedthat much more glaring next to Audrey, whose beauty once againtransfixed me, making the incident with the phone a distantmemory.

“You look exactly likeyour picture online. Really, from my experience, most people usetheir high school pictures instead of current ones. But you…” Icaught myself trailing off. Recognizing that I didn't want to soundoverly eager I added, “It’s nice to meet someone who doesn’t feelthe need to misrepresent themselves.”

“Not me, Paul,” she saidwith measured firmness, her eyes truly holding mine for the firsttime. “My picture is current. One thing you’ll learn about me isthat honesty is so important.” The idea that I might get the chanceto know her excited me, and I leaned forward in an attempt tosignal my interest.

This felt right.

Our conversation